Family of dead inmate sues jail over medical care

The family of an inmate who died in jail claims a nurse ordered the man taken to the hospital but was overruled by a supervisor.

The family of Billy Foster made the claim in a $2 million lawsuit filed in federal court last week. The suit claims the Sevier County Jail failed to provide adequate medical care and was negligent, according to the lawsuit.

Foster died Feb. 27, 2011, from heart disease with a seizure disorder as a significant contributing factor.

On the day of his death, he had been suffering seizures since early morning. The suit claims the jail has a practice of not taking inmates for outside medical care in order to save money.